Card holding member and card connector

ABSTRACT

A card holding member is provided for holding a card with terminal members and insertion into a card connector. The holding member comprises a frame portion containing a front frame portion in front of the holding member in the insertion direction and side frame portions connected on both ends to the front frame. The frame portion includes a metal portion composed of a metal panel. The front end surface of a front metal frame of the metal portion is exposed on the front end surface of the front frame. The front metal frame includes a subsiding portion. The front surface of the subsiding portion is flush with the front end surface of the front metal frame and includes a section displaced from the front end surface in the thickness direction of the front frame.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/000,118, filed Jan. 19, 2016, which in turn claims priority toJapanese Application No. 2015-033212, filed Feb. 23, 2015, each of whichare incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a card holding member and to a cardconnector.

BACKGROUND ART

Electronic devices such as mobile phones include a card connectorenabling the use of various types of cards such as SIM (SubscriberIdentity Module) cards.

Electronic devices have become significantly smaller in recent years,and so have cards and card connectors. As a result, it can be difficultfor users to grasp a card with the fingers and insert the card properlyinto a card connector. Therefore, card connectors have been proposed inwhich a card is set inside a card holder and the card holder is insertedinto the card connector (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a card connector of the prior art.

In this drawing, 811 is a housing for a card connector made of aninsulating material. This housing has a plurality of connectingterminals that are not shown in the drawing. For the sake ofconvenience, the metal shell attached to the upper surface of thehousing 811 is not shown in the drawing. In the drawing, 961 is theframe member of the card tray made from a resin material, and 966 is aspace for accommodating a card (not shown). A card is housed inside thespace 966 when the card tray is inserted into the housing 811 of thecard connector. The card tray is held inside the housing 811 when aholding spring 875 arranged in the housing 811 engages a holdingrecessed portion 968 on the frame member 961.

When the card tray is to be removed from the housing 811, the userpushes the operating portion 822 a of a sliding member 822 in the cardconnector, and the sliding member 822, resisting the spring action of acoil spring 825, is pushed into the housing 811 (the upper direction inthe drawing). The engaging member 822 b for engaging the front end ofthe sliding member 822 moves over a grooved heart cam formed on theupper surface of the sliding member accommodating portion 812 of thehousing 811, and the force input portion 821 b on one end of theejection lever 821 is displaced into the housing 811.

The ejection lever 821 is attached to the housing 811 so as to be ableto pivot on a fulcrum portion 821 c. When the force input portion 821 bis displaced into the housing 811, the force output portion 821 a on theside opposite the force input portion 821 b is displaced in the forwarddirection relative to the housing 811 (in the downward direction in thedrawing). As a result, the front end of the frame member 961 of the cardtray is pushed forward in the housing 811 by the force output portion821 a of the ejection lever 821.

Prior Art Documents—Registered Utility Model No. 3188646

SUMMARY

Because the card tray of the prior art is integrally molded from a resinmaterial, the frame member 961 wears out after repeatedly being insertedinto the card tray and ejected. When the card tray is made smaller andthinner in order to accommodate a small card, the strength of the cardtray is poor and the card tray is easily damaged. Because the front endof the frame member 961 is pressed with great force by the force outputportion 821 a of the ejection lever 821, it is especially susceptible towear and damage.

When these card trays are made of metal, they experience wear and damagesuch as scratching. This also reduces dimensional precision andincreases manufacturing costs.

It is an object of the present disclosure to solve the problemassociated with the prior art by providing a card holding member and acard connector for a card holding member which is strong, which does notexperience wear or damage, and which is highly reliable.

The present disclosure is a card holding member able to hold a card withterminal members and able to be inserted into a card connector, the cardholding member comprising: a frame portion containing a front frameportion positioned in the front of the card holding member in thedirection of insertion into the card connector and side frame portionsconnected on both ends to the front frame portion, the frame portionincluding a metal portion composed of a metal panel and a resin portioncovering at least some of the periphery of the metal portion; the metalportion including a metal frame portion, the front end surface of thefront metal frame portion being exposed on the front end surface of thefront frame portion; and the front metal frame portion including asubsiding portion, the front surface of the subsiding portion beingflush with the front end surface of the front metal frame portion andincluding a section displaced from the front end surface in thethickness direction of the front frame portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, the rearsurface of the subsiding portion is parallel to the front surface andsubsides into the resin portion of the front frame portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, the uppersurface of the subsiding portion subsides from the upper surface of thefront metal frame portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, the uppersurface of the subsiding portion is a connecting surface, and isconnected to the upper surface of the front metal frame portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, the uppersurface of the subsiding portion is not covered by the resin portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, the frontmetal portion includes a boundary surface extending in the thicknessdirection of the front frame portion, and the boundary surface isconnected to the rear end of the upper surface of the subsiding portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, a gap isformed in the upper surface of the subsiding portion or between the sameupper surface and the upper surface of the front metal frame portion.

In another card holding member of the present disclosure, the uppersurface of the subsiding portion is covered by the resin portion.

The present disclosure is also a card connector able to receive one ofthe aforementioned inserted card holding members, the card connectorhaving an abutting portion for abutting the front surface of thesubsiding portion.

In another card connector of the present disclosure, the abuttingportion is the force output portion of an ejecting member in an ejectionmechanism for ejecting the card holding member.

The present disclosure is able to provide a card holding member and acard connector for a card holding member which is strong, which does notexperience wear or damage, and which is highly reliable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a pair of perspective views of the card tray in afirst embodiment of the present disclosure in which FIG. 1A is a viewfrom the upper rear and FIG. 1B is a view from the upper front.

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are a set of three views of the card tray in thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure in which FIG. 2A is a viewfrom above, FIG. 2B is a view from the side, and FIG. 2C is a view frombelow.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the metal portion of the card tray inthe first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are a set of three views of the metal portion of thecard tray in the first embodiment of the present disclosure in whichFIG. 4A is a view from above, FIG. 4B is a view from the side, and FIG.4C is a view from below.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are a pair of perspective views of the card connector inthe first embodiment of the present disclosure in which FIG. 5A is aview with the shell attached and FIG. 5B is a view with the shellremoved.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a card tray inserted into the cardconnector in the first embodiment of the present disclosure (with theshell removed).

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are a set of diagrams used to explain the positionalrelationship between the force output portion of the ejection lever anda card tray when the card tray has been inserted into the card connectorin the first embodiment of the present disclosure in which FIG. 7A is atop view with the shell removed, FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view fromB-B in FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C is an enlarged view of section C in FIG. 7B.

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of the subsiding portion of the cardtray in the first embodiment of the present disclosure taken fromsection A of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of the subsiding portion of the cardtray in a first variation on the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure, as compared to FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of the subsiding portion of thecard tray in a second variation on the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure, as compared to FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of the subsiding portion of thecard tray in a third variation on the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure, as compared to FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of the subsiding portion of thecard tray in a fourth variation on the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure, as compared to FIG. 8.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are a pair of perspective views showing the card trayand the metal portion of the card tray in a second embodiment of thepresent disclosure in which FIG. 13A shows the card tray and FIG. 13Bshows the metal portion of the card tray.

FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C are a set of three views of the card tray in thesecond embodiment of the present disclosure in which FIG. 14A is a viewfrom above, FIG. 14B is a view from the side, and FIG. 14C is a viewfrom below.

FIGS. 15A, 15B and 15C are a set of three views of the metal portion ofthe card tray in the second embodiment of the present disclosure inwhich FIG. 15A is a view from above, FIG. 15B is a view from the side,and FIG. 15C is a view from below.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are a pair of perspective views of the card connectorin the second embodiment of the present disclosure in which FIG. 16A isa view with the shell attached and FIG. 16B is a view with the shellremoved.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a card tray inserted into the cardconnector in the second embodiment of the present disclosure (with theshell removed).

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a card connector of the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following is a detailed explanation of embodiments of the presentdisclosure with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings, 160 is the card tray serving as the card holding memberin the present embodiment. It is inserted into a card connector 1mounted in an electronic device (not shown) while housing a card. Theframe portion 161 of the card tray 160 has a space 166 serving as a cardaccommodating space, and a card is held inside the space 166. In otherwords, a card is accommodated inside the card tray 160 with both sidesurfaces surrounded by the frame portion 161 facing at least the sidesurfaces, and is mounted in an electronic device via a card connector 1.The electronic device may be any type of device, including a personalcomputer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a communication modem, a tablet,a digital camera, a video camera, a music player, a gaming console, or acar navigation system.

In the card tray 160 of the present embodiment, the space 166 serving asthe card accommodating space is divided into a first space 166 apositioned in the front and a second space 166 b positioned in the rear.A card can be accommodated in the first space 166 a and the second space166 b. The same type of card or different types of cards can beaccommodated in the first space 166 a and the second space 166 b. A cardcan be accommodated in either the first space 166 a or the second space166 b with the other space remaining empty.

However, when a card connector other than the card connector 1 ismounted in an electronic device, the user may decide not to use the cardconnector 1. In this case, the user may insert the card connector 160without a card, that is, an empty card connector 160, into the cardconnector 1 for storage.

The card can be any type of memory card such as a SIM card, a microSIMcard, nanoSIM card, MMC® multimedia card, SD® secure digital card,miniSD® card, xD-Picture® card, Memory Stick®, Memory Stick Duo®, SmartMedia®, or TransFlash® memory card. In the explanation of the presentembodiment, the card housed in the first space 166 a is a nanoSIM cardand the card housed in the second space 166 b is a nanoSIM card ormicroSD® card. In accordance with the ETSI TS 102 221 V11.00 cardstandard, the nanoSIM card has a longitudinal length of 12.3 mm, a widthof 8.8 mm, and a thickness of 0.67 mm. The SD Card Association, which isthe standard setting body for SD® cards, has set the size of microSD®cards at 15 mm×11 mm×1.0 mm (L×W×D).

In the present embodiment, the card is housed inside the space 166 sothat the surface including the electrode pads serving as the terminalmembers are facing downwards.

In the present embodiment, the expressions indicating direction, such asupper, lower, left, right, front and rear, which are used to explain theconfiguration and operation of each portion of the card connector 1 andcard tray 160 are relative and not absolute. They depend on theorientation of the card connector 1, card tray 160, and theirconstituent components shown in the drawings. When the orientation ofthe card connector 1, card tray 160, or their constituent componentschanges, the interpretation changes in response to the change inorientation.

The card tray 160 is a substantially plate-like member including a metalportion 151 integrally formed by stamping and bending a metal plate, anda resin portion 161 a made of an insulating resin covering and becomingintegrated with a section of the metal portion 151 using a moldingtechnique such as insert molding or overmolding.

The frame portion 161 of the card tray 160 is a rectangular frame membersurrounding all four sides of a space 166 serving as the cardaccommodating space for accommodating a card. It has a rear frameportion 162 and a front frame portion 165 extending parallel to eachother in the transverse direction (Y direction), and a pair of sideframe portions 164 extending in the longitudinal direction (X direction)and connected to both ends of the rear frame portion 162 and the frontframe portion 165. The frame portion 161 includes a middle frame portion167 extending parallel to the rear frame portion 162 and the front frameportion 165 and connecting to the left and right side frame portions 164to divide the space 166 into a first space 166 a and a second space 166b. In the side frame portions 164, the section corresponding to thefirst space 166 a is referred to as the first side frame portion 164 aand the section corresponding to the second space 166 b is referred toas the second side frame portion 164 b.

A protruding portion 164 c is formed in the front right corner of thefirst space 166 a, more specifically, the front right corner where oneof the first side frame portions 164 a is connected to the front frameportion 165, and in the front right corner of the second space 166 b,more specifically, the front right corner where one of the second sideframe portions 164 b is connected to the middle frame portion 167. Theseprotruding portions 164 c function as a card orientation restrictingportions. When a card has the proper orientation, the card is allowed tobe housed inside the first space 166 a or the second space 166 b.However, when the card does not have the proper orientation, the card isnot allowed to be housed inside the first space 166 a or the secondspace 166 b. As a result, a card cannot be inserted into and housed inthe first space 166 a or the second space 166 b inside the card tray 160when oriented improperly, that is, when inserted upside-down orbackwards.

A rear panel portion 163 is connected to the rear of the rear frameportion 162. A through-hole 163 a is formed at one end of the rear panelportion 163 and passes through the rear panel portion 163 in thethickness direction. The through-hole 163 a allows an auxiliary membersuch as a pin or rod to be inserted in order to apply pressure andoperate the operating portion 22 a of the push rod 22 in the cardconnector 1.

The upper surfaces of the rear frame portion 162, the side frame portion164, and the front frame portion 165, excluding the rear side portion163, are flush in the X-Y direction. However, the lower surface of thefront frame portion 165 and the middle frame portion 167 in the X-Ydirection are preferably higher than the lower surface of the side frameportions 164 in the X-Y direction. Also, the lower surface of the frontframe portion 165 and the middle frame portion 167 are also preferablyhigher (in the Z direction) than the lower surface of a card held insidethe first space 166 a and the second space 166 b. In this way, the frontframe portion 165 and the middle frame portion 167 do not make contactwith the primary terminals 51, secondary terminals 52 and tertiaryterminals 53 when the card tray 160 is inserted into the card connector1.

Eaves portions 168 extend into the space 166 from the lower ends of theleft and right side frame portions 164. More specifically, first eavesportions 168 a extend into the first space 166 a from the lower ends ofthe left and right first side frame portions 164 a, and second eavesportions 168 b extend into the second space 166 b from the lower ends ofthe left and right second side frame portions 164 b. The first eavesportions 168 a and the second eaves portions 168 b function as cardsupport portions for supporting at least some of the lower surface ofthe card held inside the first space 166 a and the second space 166 b,for example, near the front end, side ends, and rear end. The uppersurface of the cards housed inside the first space 166 a and the secondspace 166 b is preferably flush with or slightly lower than the uppersurfaces of the rear frame portion 162, the side frame portions 164, andthe front frame portions 165.

The side surfaces of the front frame portion 165, the rear frame portion162, and the first side frame portions 164 a and the second side frameportions 164 b, and the middle frame portion 167 facing the first space166 a and the second space 166 b, that is, the inside surfaces, are allcoated with an insulating resin so that the metal portion 151 is notexposed. Therefore, even though the peripheral edges of the electrodepads arranged on the lower surface of the cards housed inside the firstspace 166 a and the second space 166 b are exposed on the side surfacesof the cards, they do not come into contact with the metal portion 151.

The metal portion 151 is a frame member made from a 0.2 mm-thick metalplate with a substantially rectangular profile surrounding the foursides of the opening corresponding to the space 166, and includes a rearmetal frame portion 152 and a front metal frame portion 155 extending inthe transverse direction substantially parallel to each other, and apair of metal side frame portions 154 extending on the longitudinaldirection and connecting both ends of the rear metal frame portion 152to both ends of the front metal frame portion 155. The metal portion 151also includes a middle metal frame portion 157 extending parallel to therear metal frame portion 152 and the front metal frame portion 155 andconnecting to the left and right metal side frame portions 154 to dividethe opening 156 into a first opening 156 a corresponding to the firstspace 166 a and a second opening 156 b corresponding to a second space166 b. In the metal side frame portions 154, the section correspondingto the first opening 156 a is referred to as the first metal side frameportion 154 a and the section corresponding to the second opening 156 bis referred to as the second metal side frame portion 154 b.

The metal side frame portions 154 and the front metal frame portion 155are flat members extending parallel to the upper and lower surfaces ofthe side frame portions 164 and the front frame portion 165, that is,extending in the X-Y direction. The rear metal frame portion 152 and themiddle metal frame portion 157 are flat members extending in the Y-Zdirection and curved upwards so as to be substantially orthogonal to themetal side frame portions 154. The front metal frame portion 155 isconnected to the metal side frame portions 154 via a connecting portion154 c extending in the Y-Z direction, and is positioned above the metalside frame portions 154.

Metal side wall portions 158 curved upwards so as to be substantiallyorthogonal to the metal side frame portions 154 are connected to theouter edges of the metal side frame portions 154. The metal side wallportions 158 are flat members extending in the X-Z direction. In themetal side wall portions 158, the section positioned in the front isreferred to as the first metal side wall portion 158 a, and the sectionpositioned in the rear is referred to as the second metal side wallportion 158 b. A metal extended portion 159, which is a slenderband-like member extending forward, is connected to the front end of thefirst metal side wall portions 158 a. The metal extended portion 159 hasa side wall tiered portion 159 a formed on the rear end and a front endcorner portion 159 b formed on the front end. The metal extended portion159 is a flat member extending entirely in the X-Z direction, the sidewall tiered portion 159 a is a section curved in the Y direction, andthe front end corner portion 159 b is a section curved in the Ydirection and having a tip facing the Y direction. The upper edge of thefront end corner portion 159 b has a height substantially the same asthe upper surface of the metal frame portions 155.

In the example shown in the drawing, a first anchoring recessed portion171, which is a semicircular recessed portion, is formed in a pluralityof spots on the front edge and rear edge of the front metal frameportion 155 and on the upper edge of the second metal side wall portions158 b. Each first anchoring recessed portion 171 is a section obtainedby applying some of the resin portion 161 a formed using a moldingmethod such as insert molding and overmolding to form an anchor portion169. Because this causes a so-called anchoring effect, the metal portion151 and the resin portion 161 a are more securely integrated. The numberand locations of the first anchoring recessed portions 171 are notlimited to the example shown in the drawing but are optional.

A first anchoring opening 172 is formed so as to pass through the metalportion 151 in the thickness direction in the boundary section betweenthe second metal side wall frame portion 154 a and the second metal sidewall portion 158 b, and a second anchoring opening 173 is formed betweenthe first metal side frame portion 154 a and the metal extended portion159. Because some of the resin portion 161 a molded using a moldingmethod such as insert molding and overmolding is applied to the firstanchoring opening 172 and the second anchoring opening 173, theanchoring effect more securely integrates the metal portion 151 and theresin portion 161 a.

In the example shown in the drawing, the rear metal frame portion 152 isexposed so that the lower edge is flush with the lower surface of therear frame portion 162, and the rest subsides in the rear frame portion162 and the side frame portions 164. The middle metal frame portion 157is exposed so that the upper edge and the lower edge are flush with boththe upper surface and the lower surface of the middle frame portion 167,and the rest subsides in the middle frame portion 167 and the side frameportions 164. The metal side frame portions 154 are exposed so that thelower surface and the outer edge are flush with the lower surface andthe outer surface of the side frame portions 164 and the rest subsidesin the side frame portions 164. The second metal side wall portions 158b are exposed so that the upper edge and the lower outer side surfaceare flush with the upper surface and the outer side surface of the sideframe portions 164 and the rest subsides in the side frame portions 164.The first metal side wall portions 158 a and the metal extended portions159 are exposed so that the upper edge, the lower edge, and the outerside surface are flush with the upper surface, the lower surface, andthe outer side surface of the side frame portions 164 and the restsubsides in the side frame portions 164. The front end corner portions159 b are exposed so that the upper edge, the lower edge, and the outerside surface are flush with the upper surface, the lower surface, andthe outer side surface of the connecting portion between the side frameportions 164 and the front frame portion 165 and the rest subsides intothe connecting portion between the side frame portions 164 and the frontframe portion 165.

In the present embodiment, a subsiding portion 175 is formed in thefront metal frame portion 155. The subsiding portion 175 is formed wherethe abutting portion of a member of the card connector 1 abuts the frontend surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165 of the card tray 160inserted into the card connector 1. The abutting portion can be theforce output portion 21 a of the ejection lever 21 serving as theejecting member or a surface of the movable member 17 in the detectionswitch. Any section of a member in the card connector 1 which abuts thefront end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165 of a card tray160 inserted in the card connector 1 can be used. In the followingexplanation, the abutting portion is the force output portion 21 a ofthe ejection lever 21 in the card connector 1. Also, there may be morethan one subsiding portion 175. However, there is only one in thefollowing explanation. In the example shown in the drawing, thesubsiding portion 175 is formed near the center of the card tray 160 inthe transverse direction (Y direction). However, it can be formed in anylocation that abuts the force output portion 21 a of the ejection lever21.

As shown in FIG. 8, the subsiding portion 175 has a V-notched sectionwhich has a V-shaped profile when viewed from the front and which has adownward insertion section near the front end surface 155 a of the frontmetal frame portion 155. In other words, the subsiding portion 175 is acontinuous, unbroken recessed portion with left and right descendingportions when viewed from the front. The front surface 175 a of thesubsiding portion 175 is flush with the front end surface 155 a of thefront metal frame portion 155 and includes a section which is exposed tothe front end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165 and which isdisplaced (downward) in the thickness direction of the front frameportion 165 from the front end surface 155 a of the front metal frameportion 155. The upper surface 175 b of the subsiding portion 175 is apair of descending surfaces which are continuous and unbroken with theupper surface of the front metal frame portion 155.

In the example shown in the drawing, the dimension of the subsidingportion 175 in the X direction is half the dimension of the front metalframe portion 155 in the X direction excluding the subsiding portion175. However, it may also be smaller or greater than half of thedimension of the front metal frame portion 155 in the X direction.

A boundary surface 175 c extending vertically (in the Z direction) isformed in the subsiding portion 175 and where the front metal frameportion 155 meets the rear section of the subsiding portion 175. Thisboundary surface 175 c is flat and triangular when viewed from thefront, and is unbroken and continuous with the rear end of the uppersurface 175 b. In other words, there is no gap between the boundarysurface 175 c and the upper surface 175 b. Therefore, the strength ofthe subsiding portion 175 and the front metal frame portion 155including the subsiding portion 175 is greater in the X direction, andthe subsiding portion 175 and the front metal frame portion 155including the subsiding portion 175 are not deformed even when the frontsurface 175 a is subjected to strong force in the X direction.

The rear surface 175 d of the subsiding portion 175 is a flat surfaceparallel to the front surface 175 a and is embedded in the resin portion161 a of the front frame portion 165. As shown in FIG. 7C, some of theresin portion 161 a formed using a molding method such as insert moldingor overmolding is applied to the rear of the rear surface 175 to providean anchoring effect that more securely integrates the front metal frameportion 155 and the front frame portion 165.

The front metal frame portion 155 is exposed so that the upper surfaceexcluding the subsiding portion 175 and the front end surface 155 a areflush with the upper surface and the front end surface 165 a of thefront frame portion 165 and the rest is embedded in the front frameportion 165. The front end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165must be strong and durable enough to be abutted by the force outputportion 21 a of the ejection lever 21 and to sustain force from theforce output portion 21 a in the direction of ejection. In the presentembodiment, a subsiding portion 175 is formed where it can be abutted bythe force output portion 21 a of the ejection lever 21. Also, the outersurfaces and bottom surfaces of the side frame portions 164 have to bestrong and durable enough to slide along the holding member 75 of thecard connector 1 and the lower shell 12. Therefore, some of the metalside frame portion 154 is formed so that it remains exposed. Asmentioned above, the sections of the metal portion 151 facing into thespace 166 housing the cards are not exposed.

The metal portion 151 also includes flat plate-like members extending inthe X-Y direction, X-Z direction, and Y-Z direction, and these membersinterpose the surfaces of the resin portion 161 a extending in X-Ydirection, X-Z direction, and Y-Z direction. This improves the adhesionbetween the metal portion 151 and the resin portion 161 a and increasesthe intrinsic strength of the frame in the card tray 160. The middlemetal frame portion 157 preferably improves the frame strength whenthere is a middle frame portion 167. However, this can be omitted whenthere is no middle frame portion 167.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the cardconnector 1 has a housing 11 integrally molded from an insulatingmaterial such as a synthetic resin, and a shell 65 or cover memberformed integrally by punching and bending a conductive metal sheet whichis attached to the upper side of the housing 11. The shell 65 has asubstantially rectangular ceiling panel portion 62 and side panelportions 63 erected on the side edges of the ceiling panel portion 62,and covers the housing 11 and at least some of the upper portion of thecard tray 160 inserted into the housing 11 and the card connector 1. Thecard connector 1 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, and ismounted on the surface of a board such as a printed circuit board in theelectronic device. A card tray 160 is inserted into the insertion slot18 in the rear (below right in FIG. 5A). More specifically, the cardtray 160 is inserted into the card insertion space between the housing11 and the shell 65.

The housing 11 includes primary terminals 51, secondary terminals 52,tertiary terminals 53, and a lower shell 12 integrally formed bystamping and bending a metal plate. This substantially plate-like memberis integrally molded using a molding technique such as insert molding orovermolding with an insulating resin which covers and becomes integratedwith at least a portion of the primary terminals 51, secondary terminals52, tertiary terminals 53, and a lower shell 12. The lower shell 12 is aframe member for reinforcing the housing 11, and is preferably formedfrom the same material as the primary terminals 51, secondary terminals52 and/or tertiary terminals 53, but is electrically insulated from theprimary terminals 51, the secondary terminals 52, and the tertiaryterminals 53.

The housing 11 also includes a bottom wall portion 11 b serving as thesubstantially rectangular, plate-like terminal holding portion, an innerwall portion 11 a thicker than the bottom wall portion 11 b whichextends in the transverse direction (Y direction) of the housing 11along the front end portion 11 f in the insertion direction (Xdirection) of the card tray 160, and a pair of side wall portions 11 ethicker than the bottom wall portion 11 b extending in the insertiondirection of the housing 11 along both side edges. The lower surfaces ofthe inner wall portion 11 a and the side wall portions 11 e are flushwith the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 11 b, and the uppersurfaces are above the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 11 b.The end portion of the housing 11 in the insertion direction of the cardtray 160 is referred to as the rear end portion 11 r.

Here, the bottom wall portion 11 b includes a primary terminal holdingrecessed portion 1 c, a secondary terminal holding recessed portion 11d, and a tertiary terminal holding recessed portion 11 g for holding theexposed portions of the primary terminals 51, secondary terminals 52,and tertiary terminals 53. The primary terminal holding recessed portion11 c, secondary terminal holding recessed portion 11 d, and tertiaryterminal holding recessed portion 11 g are openings which pass throughthe bottom wall portion 11 b in the thickness direction.

The primary terminals 51 and tertiary terminals 53 are arranged side byside to form rows extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing11. In the example shown in the drawing, there are two rows of three. Atleast a portion of each primary terminal 51 and tertiary terminal 53 isembedded in the bottom wall portion 11 b, and at least a contact portion51 a, 53 a is exposed inside the primary terminal holding recessedportion 11 c and the tertiary terminal holding recessed portion 11 g.Solder tail portions 51 d, 53 d to be soldered are also exposed on thebottom surface of the bottom wall portion 11 b. The contact portions 51a and 53 a are biased upwards by the spring action of the arm portion,and the arms of the primary terminals 51 and the tertiary terminals 53come into contact with the corresponding electrode pad on the cardinside the card tray 160 held inside the card connector 1.

Therefore, the secondary terminals 52 are arranged in a single rowextending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11. At least aportion of each secondary terminal 52 is embedded in the bottom wallportion 11 b, and at least the contact portion 52 a is exposed inside asecondary terminal holding recessed portion 11 d. The solder tailportions 52 d to be soldered are exposed on the bottom surface of thebottom wall portion 11 b. The contact portions 52 a are biased upwardsby the spring action of the arm portions of the secondary terminals 52,and come into contact with the corresponding electrode pad on the cardinside the card tray 160 held inside the card connector 1. Each soldertail portion 52 d is connected electrically by solder to a signal line,contact pad, or terminal formed on a printed circuit board.

The primary terminals 51 and the third terminals 53 are arranged so asto match the electrode pads on a nanoSD® card, and the secondaryterminals 52 are arranged so as to match the electrode pads on amicroSIM® card. In other words, the card connector 1 can accommodatedifferent types of cards housed in the card tray 160. For example, itcan accommodate a card that is a microSD® card or a nanoSIM® card. Thenumber and arrangement of primary terminals 51, secondary terminals 52,and tertiary terminals 53 can be changed if necessary to conform to thenumber and arrangement of electrode pads on a card.

The lower shell 12 is exposed between the bottom wall portion 11 b andthe left and right side wall portions 11 e. A holding member 75 isformed on the inner side surface of each side wall portion 11 e as aholding spring portion to hold and secure the card tray 160 insertedinto the card connector 1. Each holding member 75 is a band-shapedmember with spring action such as a metal plate and has a holdingprotrusion 75 a bulging into the housing 11 in the transverse direction.

A push rod 22 is slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction on theinside surface of one of the side wall portions 11 e. This serves as thetray ejection operation member in the tray ejection mechanism forejecting the card tray 160 inserted into the card connector 1. The pushrod 22 is a linear rod-shaped or band-shaped member, and a bentoperating portion 22 a is integrally connected to the rear end portion.

An engaging portion 22 b is formed in the front end portion of the pushrod 22 to engage the force input portion 21 b of the ejection lever 21.The ejection lever 21 is a lever-shaped member arranged near the innerwall portion 11 a, and functions as the tray ejection lever of the trayejection mechanism. As a result, the ejection lever 21 is pivotallymounted on the bottom wall portion 11 b at the fulcrum portion 21 c. Theend on the other side of the fulcrum portion 21 c from the force inputportion 21 b functions as the force output portion 21 a which comes intocontact with the front end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165of the card tray 160 inserted into the card connector 1 and appliesforce to the card tray 160 in the direction of ejection. Morespecifically, the force output portion 21 a abuts the front surface 175a of the subsiding portion 175 in the front metal frame portion 155exposed on the front end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165.

The shell 65 has side panel portions 63 extending from the side edges ofa ceiling panel portion 62. A plurality of locking openings 63 a areformed on the side panel portions 63. When the shell 65 is mounted onthe upper side of the housing 11, the locking openings 63 a are engagedby locking protrusions 13 formed on the outside surfaces of the sidewall portions 11 e of the housing 11, and the shell 65 is secured on thehousing 11. Also, solder tail portions 64 are formed at any location onthe lower end of the side panel portions 63. These serve asboard-connectors and stand erect from the side panel portions 63 andextend outward in the transverse direction of the shell 65. The soldertail portions 64 are secured by soldering to anchoring pads formed onthe surface of the board.

The housing 11 includes a movable member 17 and a fixed member 16 for adetection switch used to detect whether a card tray 160 inserted intothe card connector 1 has reached a predetermined position inside thecard connector 1 (the position at which the inserted card tray 160 islocked). When the card tray 160 has not reached the predeterminedposition, the movable member 17 and the fixed member 16 are in contact,and the detection switch is electrified or turned ON. However, when thecard tray 160 reaches the predetermined position, the movable member 17presses against the front frame portion 165 of the card tray 160, andthe movable member 17 is separated from the fixed member 16. Becausethis de-electrifies or turns the detection switch OFF, it is determinedthat the card tray 160 has reached the predetermined position.

The following is an explanation of the operations performed by a cardconnector 1 with the configuration described above. First, theoperations performed to insert the card tray 160 will be explained.

The user manually inserts a card tray 160 housing a card into theinsertion slot 18 in the rear of the card connector 1. Here, the cardtray 160 is inserted properly with the upper surface facing upwardstowards the ceiling panel portion 62 of the shell 65, the lower surfacefacing downwards towards the bottom wall portion 11 b of the housing 11,and the front frame portion 165 facing the front end portion 11 f of thehousing 11. As a result, the upper surface 11 b of the card housedinside the space 166 which does not include any electrode pads facesupwards, and the lower surface including electrode pads and exposed onthe lower surface of the card tray 160 is facing downwards. The cardtray 160 can be inserted into the card connector 1 and ejected from thecard connector 1 whether the tray is housing a card or not housing acard. In the following explanation, the tray is housing a card. Asmentioned above, the card is a nanoSIM® card or microSD® card.

When the card tray 160 is inserted from the insertion slot 18 into thecard insertion space formed between the housing 11 and the shell 65, thecard tray 160 advances into the card insertion space with the lowersurfaces of the side frame portions 164 approaching or making contactwith the upper surface of the lower shell 12 or the outer surfaces ofthe side frame portions 164 sliding along the inner surfaces of the sidewall portions 11 e of the card connector. Because the bottom surfacesand the outer surfaces of the side frame portions 164 are partiallyexposed to the metal side frame portion 154, there is no wear or damageeven when sliding along the inner surfaces of the inner wall portions 11e.

Next, when the user pushes in the card tray 160, the holding members 75are elastically deformed and the holding protrusions 75 a on the leftand right holding members 75 are separated from each other. The holdingprotrusions 75 a slide along the metal extended portions 159 exposed onthe outer surfaces of the side frame portions 164 and move to the rearof the card tray 160 in a relative sense.

Next, when the user pushes in the card tray 160, as shown in FIG. 6 andFIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C, the card tray 160 reaches a predetermined positioninside the card connector 1. At this time, the movable member 17 ispushed by the front frame portion 165 away from the fixed member 16,turning the detection switch OFF to indicate that the card tray 160 hasreached the predetermined position inside the card connector 1. Forexplanatory purposes, a card is not depicted in FIG. 6 and FIGS. 7A, 7Band 7C.

Also, when the card tray 160 reaches the predetermined position insidethe card connector 1, the holding protrusions 75 a on the holdingmembers 75 overcome the side wall tiered portions 159 a formed in therear end of the metal extended portions 159 and engage the side walltiered portions 159 a. In this way, the card tray 160 is held at thepredetermined position inside the card connector 1 in a locked state.Because it is elastically held on the left and right by the holdingmembers 75, the card tray 160 is kept from being displaced in thetransverse direction.

As the card tray 160 advances to the predetermined position inside thecard connector 1, the force output portion 21 a of the ejection lever 21is pushed by the front frame portion 165, more specifically, by thefront end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion 155 exposed onthe front end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165, and isdisplaced further in the direction of the front end portion 11 f. As aresult, the force input portion 21 b of the ejection lever 21 isdisplaced farther in the direction of the rear end portion 11 r, and thepush rod 22 slides to the position protruding farthest to the rear.

When the card tray 160 reaches the predetermined position inside thecard connector 1, the force output portion 21 a of the ejection lever 21is interfered with by the inner wall portion 11 a of the housing 11 andcannot be displaced any further in the direction of the front endportion 11 f. As a result, the card tray 160 cannot advance any further.

The card housed inside the card tray 160 can exchange data along withthe card tray 160 at the predetermined position using an arithmeticprocessing means in the electronic device mounted in the card connector1. When the card is held in the predetermined position, the contactportions 51 a, 52 a, 53 a of the primary terminals 51, secondaryterminals 52 and/or tertiary terminals 53 make contact with theelectrode pads on the card and establish an electrical connection.

The following is an explanation of the operations performed to eject acard tray 160 from the card connector 1.

First, the user manually inserts an auxiliary member such as a pin orrod into the through-hole 163 a formed in the rear panel portion 163from the rear of the card tray 160, and the tip of the auxiliary memberis brought into contact with the operating portion 22 a of the push rod22. When the user pushes in the push rod 22 via the auxiliary member,the force input portion 21 b of the ejection lever 21 engaging theengaging portion 22 b of the push rod 22 is displaced forward. As aresult, the front frame portion 165 is pressed against the force outputportion 21 a of the ejection lever 21, and the card tray 160 movestowards the rear end portion 11 r from the predetermined position. Atthis time, the card tray 160 is locked because the holding protrusions75 a on the holding members 75 are engaging the side wall tieredportions 159 a of the metal extended portions 159. However, if themanual pressure applied by the user is sufficient, it is easily unlockedwhen the user pushes in the operating portion 22 a of the push rod 22,and the card tray 160 moves towards the rear end portion 11 r. As aresult, the detection switch turns OFF, and movement of the card tray160 to the rear of the predetermined position is detected.

In this way, the rear panel portion 163 of the card tray 160 protrudessufficiently from the insertion slot 18 of the card connector 1. Thisallows the user to grasp the rear panel portion 163 and remove the cardtray 160 from the card connector 1.

The front end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion 155 isexposed on the front surface of the front frame portion 165 to preventdamage when subjected to strong force from the force output portion 21 aof the ejection lever 21.

However, as shown in FIG. 7C, the dimension of the force output portion21 a of the ejection lever 21 in the vertical direction (Z direction),that is, in the direction of thickness, is thinner than the thickness ofthe front frame portion 165. Also, because of inevitable dimensionalerrors in the vertical dimensions of the various components in the cardtray 160 and the card connector 1, the positional relationship betweenthe front frame portion 165 and the force output portion 21 a of theejection lever 21 in the vertical direction differs somewhat from therelationship shown in FIG. 7C. Also, because of mounting errors when theejection lever 21 is mounted on the bottom wall portion 11 b of thehousing 11, the entire ejection lever 21 swings around the fulcrumportion 21 c in the vertical direction and the force output portion 21 ais displaced in the vertical direction. As a result, the position atwhich the force output portion 21 a of the ejection lever 21 abuts thefront end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165 is sometimeslower than the front end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion155.

In the present embodiment, the subsiding portion 175 is formed in thefront metal frame portion 155 where it abuts the force output portion 21a of the ejection lever 21 with respect to the transverse direction (Ydirection). The front surface 175 a of the subsiding portion 175 isflush with the front end surface 155 a of the front metal portion 155and the front end surface 165 a of the front frame portion 165 and thefront surface 175 a includes a section with V-shaped descending portionsin the vertical direction. Therefore, the range in which the frontsurface 175 a of the subsiding portion 175 extends vertically is greaterthan the range in which the front end surface 155 a of the front metalframe portion 155 excluding the subsiding portion 175 extends verticallyand within the range in which the front end surface 165 a of the frontframe portion 165 extends vertically. As a result, the force outputportion 21 a of the ejection lever 21 abuts the front surface 175 a ofthe subsiding portion 175 even when the force output portion 21 a islower than the front end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion155.

Because the force output portion 21 a of the ejection lever 21 abuts thefront end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion 155 in thisway, the front frame portion 165 is not damaged.

The following is an explanation of variations on the subsiding portion175 in the present embodiment.

The subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 9, which is the first variation,has a U-shaped profile when viewed from the front and the U-shapedportion allows for insertion downward. In other words, the subsidingportion 175 is a continuous and unbroken recessed portion having acurved section on both the left and right sides when viewed from thefront. The upper surface 175 b of the subsiding portion 175 descends onboth sides and is curved in the middle section to form a continuous andunbroken curved surface. Because the rest of the configuration isidentical to the subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 8, furtherexplanation has been omitted.

The subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 10, which is the secondvariation, has a V-shaped profile when viewed from the front and theV-shaped portion allows for insertion downward. However, a gap 175 e isformed between the inclined sections on both the left and right sides.The upper surface 175 b of the subsiding portion 175 is a pair ofdescending inclined surfaces with a gap 175 e between them. In otherwords, the gap 175 e is in the upper surface 175 b. Some of the resinportion 161 a formed using a molding method such as insert molding orovermolding is applied to the gap 175 e to cover the upper surface 175 bwith the resin portion 161 a and form an embedded portion 165 b on theupper surface 175 b. The upper surface of the embedded portion 165 b isflush with the upper surface of the front metal frame portion 155, andthe front surface of the embedded portion 165 b is flush with the frontend surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion 155 and the front endsurface 165 a of the front frame portion 165. Because the rest of theconfiguration is identical to the subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 8,further explanation has been omitted.

The subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 11, which is the thirdvariation, has a linear portion for downward inclined insertion from abase end (the left end in the example shown in the drawing) to theleading end (the right end in the example shown in the drawing) whenviewed from the front. The base end is connected to the front metalframe portion 155 and the leading end is cut off from the front metalframe portion 155, and a gap 175 e is formed between the leading end andthe front metal frame portion 155. In other words, a gap 175 e ispresent between the upper surface 175 b and the upper surface of thefront metal frame portion 155. Some of the resin portion 161 a formedusing a molding method such as insert molding or overmolding is appliedto the gap 175 e to cover the upper surface 175 b with the resin portion161 a and form an embedded portion 165 b on the upper surface 175 b. Theupper surface of the embedded portion 165 b is flush with the uppersurface of the front metal frame portion 155, and the front surface ofthe embedded portion 165 b is flush with the front end surface 155 a ofthe front metal frame portion 155 and the front end surface 165 a of thefront frame portion 165. Because the rest of the configuration isidentical to the subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 8, furtherexplanation has been omitted.

The subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 12, which is the fourthvariation, has an L-shaped curved portion for downward inclinedinsertion from a base end (the left end in the example shown in thedrawing) to the leading end (the right end in the example shown in thedrawing) when viewed from the front. The base end is connected to thefront metal frame portion 155 and the leading end is cut off from thefront metal frame portion 155, and a gap 175 e is formed between theleading end and the front metal frame portion 155. In other words, a gap175 e is present between the upper surface 175 b and the upper surfaceof the front metal frame portion 155. Some of the resin portion 161 aformed using a molding method such as insert molding or overmolding isapplied to the gap 175 e to cover the upper surface 175 b with the resinportion 161 a and form an embedded portion 165 b on the upper surface175 b. The upper surface of the embedded portion 165 b is flush with theupper surface of the front metal frame portion 155, and the frontsurface of the embedded portion 165 b is flush with the front endsurface 155 a of the front metal frame portion 155 and the front endsurface 165 a of the front frame portion 165. Because the rest of theconfiguration is identical to the subsiding portion 175 shown in FIG. 8,further explanation has been omitted.

In the present embodiment, the card tray 160 is able to hold a card withelectrode pads and is able to be inserted into a card connector 1. Thecard tray 160 comprises a frame portion 161 containing a front frameportion 165 positioned in the front of the card tray 160 in thedirection of insertion into the card connector 1 and side frame portions164 connected on both ends to the front frame portion 165. The frameportion 161 includes a metal portion 151 composed of a metal panel and aresin portion 161 a covering at least some of the periphery of the metalportion 151, and the metal portion 151 includes a front metal frameportion 155, The front end surface 155 a of the front metal frameportion 155 is exposed on the front end surface 165 a of the front frameportion 165, and the front metal frame portion 155 includes a subsidingportion 175. The front surface 175 a of the subsiding portion 175 isflush with the front end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion155, and includes a section displaced from the front end surface 155 ain the thickness direction of the front frame portion 165.

Therefore, the front frame portion 165 is strong and the front frameportion 165 does not become worn or damaged even when the force outputportion 21 a subjects it to strong force. Because the metal portion 151is covered by the resin portion 161 a, the card does not becomeshort-circuited. As a result, the card is highly reliable.

Also, the rear surface 175 d of the subsiding portion 175 is parallel tothe front surface 175 a and subsides into the resin portion 161 a of thefront frame portion 165. This has an anchoring effect that more securelyintegrates the front metal frame portion 155 and the front frame portion165.

The upper surface 175 b of the subsiding portion 175 subsides from theupper surface of the front metal frame portion 155. Therefore, the rangein which the front surface 175 a of the subsiding portion 175 extendsvertically is greater than the range in which the front end surface 155a of the front metal frame portion 155 excluding the subsiding portion175 extends vertically. As a result, the force output portion 21 a ofthe ejection lever 21 abuts the front surface 175 a of the subsidingportion 175 even when the force output portion 21 a is lower than thefront end surface 155 a of the front metal frame portion 155.

The following is an explanation of a second embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The configurational elements identical to those in the firstembodiment are denoted by the same reference numbers and furtherexplanation of these configurational elements has been omitted. Becausethe operations and effects are the same as those of the firstembodiment, further explanation of these has been omitted.

The card tray 160 in the present embodiment, unlike the firstembodiment, has a single space 166 for accommodating a card which is notdivided into a first space 166 a and a second space 166 b. Therefore,the frame portion 161 of the card tray 160 in the present embodimentdoes not include a middle frame portion 167. Also, the side frameportions 164 are not divided into a first side frame portion 164 a and asecond side frame portion 164 b, and the eaves portions 168 are notdivided into a first eaves portion 168 a and a second eaves portion 168b.

Similarly, the metal portion 151 in the present disclosure has a singleopening 156 which is not divided into a first opening 156 a and a secondopening 156 b. Therefore, the metal portion 151 in the presentembodiment does not include a middle metal frame portion 157. Inaddition, the metal side frame portions 154 are not divided into a firstmetal side frame portion 154 a and a second metal side frame portion 154b, and the metal side wall portions 158 are not divided into a firstmetal side wall portion 158 a and a second metal side wall portion 158b.

In the explanation of the present embodiment, the card housed inside thespace 166 is a nanoSIM card.

In the card tray 160 of the present embodiment, some of the metalportion 151 is exposed inside the space 166. More specifically, themetal side frame portions 154 are extended farther into the space 166 toform eaves portions 168. In addition, the first anchoring opening 172and the second anchoring opening 173 are larger and extend into theeaves portions 168 and the space 166. Some of the resin portion 161 aentering the first anchoring opening 172 and the second anchoringopening 173 form a first island portion 168 d and a second islandportion 168 c, and the upper surfaces of the first island portion 168 dand the second island portion 168 c are positioned above the uppersurfaces of the metal side frame portions 154.

Therefore, even when the electrode pads on the bottom surface of thecard housing inside the space 166 make contact with the upper surfacesof the first island portion 168 d and the second island portion 168 cmade of an insulating resin, they do not make contact with the metalside frame portions 154. Also, the side surfaces of the side frameportions 164 and the front frame portion 165 inside the space 166, thatis, the inner side surfaces, are completely covered with an insulatingresin and the metal portion 151 is not exposed. In this way, even whenthe edges of the electrode pads on the bottom surface of the cardhousing inside the space 166 are exposed to the side surfaces of thecard, they do not come into contact with the metal portion 151 at anypoint.

The rear metal frame portion 152 of the metal portion 151 in the presentembodiment includes a flat portion 152 a extending on the same plane asthe metal side frame portions 154 and a vertical wall portion 152 bextending in the Y-Z direction and curving upwards so as to becomeorthogonal to the flat portion 152 a. The lower surface of the flatportion 152 a is exposed and flush with the lower surface of the rearframe portion 162, and the vertical wall portion 152 b is embeddedinside the rear panel portion 163.

Because the rest of the configuration of the card tray 160 is identicalto the one in the first embodiment, further explanation has beenomitted.

The card connector 1 in the present embodiment, unlike the one in thefirst embodiment, only has first terminals 51 and no second terminals 52or third terminals 53 as connecting terminals. Therefore, the bottomwall portion 11 b of the housing 11 in the present disclosure only hasprimary terminal holding recessed portions 11 c and no secondaryterminal holding recessed portions 11 d or tertiary terminal holdingrecessed portions 11 g.

In the present embodiment, the movable member 17 and the fixed member 16of the detection switch are separated from each other when the card tray160 has not yet reached a predetermined position and come into contactwith each other when the card tray 160 reaches the predeterminedposition. In this way, the present embodiment differs from the firstembodiment.

In every other respect, the configuration of the card connector 1 in thepresent embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment.Therefore, further explanation has been omitted. The operations of thecard connector 1 in the present embodiment are identical to those of thefirst embodiment. Therefore, further explanation has been omitted. Theeffects of the present embodiment are identical to those of the firstembodiment. Therefore, further explanation has been omitted.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments describedabove. Many modifications and variations are possible without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure can be applied to a card holding member and to acard connector.

1. A card holding member which is configured to hold a card withterminal members and which is configured to be inserted into a cardconnector, the card holding member comprising: a frame portion having afront frame portion positioned in a front of the card holding member andside frame portions connected to opposite ends of the front frameportion, the front frame portion including a metal portion composed of ametal panel, wherein a front end surface of the metal portion is exposedat a front end surface of the front frame portion, and wherein the metalportion includes a subsiding portion, a front surface of the subsidingportion being flush with the front end surface of the metal portion andincluding a section displaced from the front end surface of the frontframe portion.
 2. The card holding member according to claim 1, whereina rear surface of the subsiding portion is parallel to the front surfaceof the subsiding portion.
 3. The card holding member according to claim1, wherein an upper surface of the subsiding portion subsides from anupper surface of the metal portion.
 4. The card holding member accordingto claim 3, wherein the upper surface of the subsiding portion is aconnecting surface which is connected to the upper surface of the metalportion.
 5. The card holding member according to claim 4, wherein theupper surface of the subsiding portion is not covered.
 6. The cardholding member according to claim 5, wherein the metal portion includesa boundary surface which is connected to a rear end of the upper surfaceof the subsiding portion.
 7. The card holding member according to claim3, wherein a gap is formed in the upper surface of the subsidingportion.
 8. The card holding member according to claim 7, wherein theupper surface of the subsiding portion is covered.
 9. A card connectorable to receive the card holding member according to claim 1, the cardconnector having an abutting portion for abutting the front surface ofthe subsiding portion.
 10. The card connector according to claim 9,wherein the abutting portion is a force output portion of an ejectingmember in an ejection mechanism for ejecting the card holding member.11. The card holding member according to claim 3, wherein a gap isformed between the upper surface of the subsiding portion and the uppersurface of the metal portion.
 12. The card holding member according toclaim 11, wherein the upper surface of the subsiding portion is covered.